Updated

02/20/2015 - 10:45am

Chinese New Year begins next week and all across China people are getting ready. It’s a time for visiting friends and relatives. Throughout the country, people stock up on fruit to eat at home with family and to give as gifts. These days, Chinese shoppers are opening up their wallets for a particular luxury item — imported fruit.

Updated

02/06/2015 - 10:45am

How does picking the tomato compare to the onion? And what about strawberries? One Mexican American migrant farmworker who lives in California's Central Valley took us to the produce aisle to tell us what he sees when he's at the supermarket.

Texas is the biggest climate polluter in the U.S. It’s also is also extremely vulnerable to some of the impacts of climate change. But the state’s most prominent politicians say they don't believe that climate change is real. It all adds up to a big problem for Texas and the rest of us.

From the son of slaves to one of the most influential agricultural scientists in US history, George Washington Carver embodied the idea that curiosity, intellect and innovation, coupled with determination, can bring great things to the world, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

Many of today’s synthetic pesticides are derived from chemical weapons developed during the First and Second World Wars. Today, in the US, chemical warfare is waged daily against weeds in industrial agriculture. It has become an escalating conflict, as unruly weeds rapidly adapt to new products. The latest weapon has stirred strong opposition from environmentalists, farmers and food safety advocates.

According to Jewish law, farmers are supposed to leave their fields fallow every seventh year — which happens to be right now. But among farmers who pay attention to the decree, called "shmita," there are all sorts of technicalities that allow them to keep on growing.

Updated

02/06/2015 - 10:45am

How does picking the tomato compare to the onion? And what about strawberries? One Mexican American migrant farmworker who lives in California's Central Valley took us to the produce aisle to tell us what he sees when he's at the supermarket.

Despite growing evidence that the earth's climate is changing, many people remain skeptical. This denialism is often seen as a political response to the issue, but some mental health experts in Australia say it can also be a beneficial coping mechanism.

Many of today’s synthetic pesticides are derived from chemical weapons developed during the First and Second World Wars. Today, in the US, chemical warfare is waged daily against weeds in industrial agriculture. It has become an escalating conflict, as unruly weeds rapidly adapt to new products. The latest weapon has stirred strong opposition from environmentalists, farmers and food safety advocates.

According to Jewish law, farmers are supposed to leave their fields fallow every seventh year — which happens to be right now. But among farmers who pay attention to the decree, called "shmita," there are all sorts of technicalities that allow them to keep on growing.

Texas is the biggest climate polluter in the U.S. It’s also is also extremely vulnerable to some of the impacts of climate change. But the state’s most prominent politicians say they don't believe that climate change is real. It all adds up to a big problem for Texas and the rest of us.

Updated

02/06/2015 - 10:45am

How does picking the tomato compare to the onion? And what about strawberries? One Mexican American migrant farmworker who lives in California's Central Valley took us to the produce aisle to tell us what he sees when he's at the supermarket.

Industrial farming has been a disaster for the Earth's soil, according to a new book. But fixing the problem is possible if we return to farming practices that keep the soil healthy. This simple change could offset climate change and lead to healthier crops — and people.

The US government has been slow to respond to the health threat posed by the widespread use of antibiotics in livestock. But consumer concern about antibiotic resistance is growing, and that's leading some US companies to start changing their ways.

Genetically Modified Organisms, or GMOs, are controversial around the world, sparking protests and marches. But a lawsuit among agricultural giants over GMOs is something few people would have predicted.

There’s a crisis on the farms of America: Young people don’t want to work there. Agriculture experts are well aware of this. One strategy is to reach out to low-income, minority students, often immigrants in urban areas, grooming them to someday run the farm.

Something's blooming on Long Island: lavender. Serge Rosenbaum's family farm, Lavender by the Bay, boasts some 60,000 plants, and they are in full flower right now. And that's drawing a lot of visitors, especially from Asia.

From the son of slaves to one of the most influential agricultural scientists in US history, George Washington Carver embodied the idea that curiosity, intellect and innovation, coupled with determination, can bring great things to the world, no matter how difficult the circumstances.